WhatsApp has introduced the Bharat Yatra initiative, a unique on-ground training program to help small businesses across India embrace digital tools. The program aims to empower small and medium businesses (SMBs) by teaching them how to use the WhatsApp Business app to grow their operations and engage with customers effectively.
The Bharat Yatra initiative involves a mobile bus tour that will travel across India, starting in Delhi-NCR. This WhatsApp-branded bus will visit busy marketplaces in Delhi like Laxmi Nagar, Rajouri Garden, and Nehru Place before heading to Gurgaon’s Sapphire Mall and Noida’s Atta Market. Over the next few months, the tour will cover major cities such as Agra, Lucknow, Kanpur, Indore, Ahmedabad, Surat, Nashik, and Mysore.
Interactive Training for SMBs
The initiative offers interactive sessions where businesses can learn how to create business profiles, set up product catalogs, and design advertisements using the WhatsApp Business app. Expert trainers will provide hands-on demonstrations and personalized support to ensure businesses can fully utilize these tools to streamline customer interactions.
Ravi Garg, Director of Business Messaging at Meta India, highlighted the importance of the initiative, stating, “Small businesses are the backbone of India’s economy. With the right digital tools, they can drive the country’s digital transformation. The Bharat Yatra program is our commitment to helping these businesses grow and connect with their customers digitally.”
Garg emphasized that meeting businesses in their own cities—physically and digitally—will create a long-lasting impact on India’s entrepreneurial landscape.
Features for Better Engagement
The Bharat Yatra initiative will also introduce SMBs to WhatsApp’s latest features. These include Meta Verified, a tool to enhance business credibility, and custom messaging features like appointment reminders and sale notifications. WhatsApp is also testing Meta AI integration to help businesses manage customer interactions more efficiently.
The training will guide SMBs on how to use these features to increase sales and improve their operations, ensuring they can maximize the benefits of WhatsApp’s advanced tools.
Building on Past Success
This program builds on WhatsApp’s earlier efforts, including WhatsApp Se Vyapaar, which partnered with CAIT to train 10 million traders, and Digishaastra, a digital literacy program launched by the India SME Forum.
The Bharat Yatra initiative reflects WhatsApp’s ongoing commitment to strengthening India’s small business ecosystem, helping SMBs succeed in the digital age. With comprehensive training and innovative tools, this program promises to make a significant difference in how small businesses operate and grow.
